Self-Funded

By Spencer SmithBusiness

Self-Funded episodes

July 12, 2024 Can We Use AI To Fix Healthcare? (with Guy Benjamin)
"The US healthcare system is simple, easy to navigate and affordable. Said no one ever." - Guy Benjamin

Guy Benjamin returns to the show a year after his previous episode to share just how much Healthee has expanded in that time (spoilers: it’s 100x).

We talk about how Healthee’s role in the marketplace has shifted, what huge feature is on the horizon for them, and why Guy believes that the Healthee app deserves a spot on the bottom row of apps on your phone, next to your messages/email/Spotify apps.

The future of Healthee is bright, and I’m proud to highlight just how far they’ve come this week on Self-Funded with Spencer.

Chapters:
(00:00:00) Introducing Guy Benjamin
(00:07:56) Revolutionizing Healthcare With AI
(00:19:16) Using AI To Support Patients And Physicians
(00:27:01) Empowering Self-Service Healthcare
(00:35:26) Healthcare Bill Accuracy Through AI
(00:40:56) AI-driven Solutions for TPAs

Key Links for Social:

@SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFunded

Listen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02

Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286

Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/

Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/

Key Words:
#healthcaretransparency #programminghealth #engagementstrategy #AIinhealthcare #scalability #selfservicesolutions #medicalbillauditing #telehealthcostsavings #TPApartnerships #wearablesinhealthcare #healthtech #consumerempowerment #selffunded #podcast
healthcare transparency, programming health, engagement strategy, AI in healthcare, scalability, self service solutions, medical bill auditing, telehealth cost savings, TPA partnerships, wearables in healthcare, health tech, consumer empowerment, self funded, podcast
52 min
July 02, 2024 Inside the Life of a Children's Book Illustrator (with AG Ford)
"It's not always what you can do that makes you who you are. Sometimes the things that you don't do well create your style." - AG Ford

We have a bit of a different episode in store for you this week: an interview with a local illustrator AG Ford, who’s worked on children’s book series like Construction Site and Magic Tree House.

AG and I discussed just how hard it is to break into the world of illustration, what he learned in art school, and what his current work-life balance looks like.

We also talked about art in general, why being different is better than being better in the artistic world, and why he wouldn’t trade his current lifestyle for any other.

Chapters:
(00:00:00) Introducing AG Ford
(00:03:48) Embracing Imperfections for Unique Artistic Style
(00:17:23) Redefining Artistic Success Through Personal Journey
(00:21:06) Finding Balance: Artistic Creativity and Financial Stability
(00:25:55) Navigating Artistic Integrity in Commercial Ventures
(00:33:59) Illustration Process Timeline for Picture Books
(00:43:52) Diversifying Your Artistic Skillset
(00:53:17) Creating a Balanced Routine for Work-Life Harmony

Key Links for Social:

@SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFunded

Listen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02

Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286

Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/

Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/

Key Words:
#ArtisticStyle #EmbracingFlaws #BusinessArt #ArtisticJourney #CommercialArt #Illustrations #MarketDiversification #SelectiveProjects #WorkLifeBalance #BookPromotion #CreativeBalance #FamilyAndCareer #selffunded #podcast
Artistic Style, Embracing Flaws, Business Art, Artistic Journey, Commercial Art, Illustrations, Market Diversification, Selective Projects, Work Life Balance, Book Promotion, Creative Balance, Family And Career, self funded, podcast
59 min
June 25, 2024 Episode 150 - Talking RBP with ClaimDOC, Live From Des Moines!
“If you're going to be the fiduciary, you have to protect the members, you have to protect the plan, and you need to defend that allowable to make sure that you're covering all of your bases." - Amy Pellegrin

We made it to episode 150! A huge thank you to every guest we’ve had on the show so far, and obviously to you, the listeners, for making the show what it is today.

For this special episode, we traveled to Des Moines, Iowa to meet with ClaimDOC, one of our sponsors, in early March and I hosted a panel podcast with Bruce Hansen, Amy Pellegrin, and Brad Hansen.

We talked about how each of them made their way to ClaimDOC, why it’s so important that ClaimDOC is a co-fiduciary with it’s clients, and why human customer support is especially welcome in the healthcare space. We also talked about the reference based pricing world at large and what ClaimDOC does to help its clients deal with balanced bills.

Join us for the 150th time this week on Self-Funded with Spencer as we talk all things RBP!

Chapters:
00:00:00 Welcome to Episode 150!
00:02:53 Member-Centric Healthcare Pricing
00:17:49 Navigating Healthcare Billing and Coding for Fair Charges
00:20:50 Claimdoc's Co-Fiduciary Role in Healthcare Operations
00:25:43 Better Healthcare Experiences Through Member Advocates
00:37:22 Navigating Balance Billing With An Advocate

Key Links for Social:

@SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFunded

Listen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02

Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286

Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/

Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/

Key Words:
#ReferenceBasedPricing #HealthcareBilling #FiduciaryResponsibilities #MemberAdvocacy #VendorRelationships #NetworkFreeOptions #BalancedBilling #ProviderRelationships #MemberAdvocates #HealthcareTools #HealthcareInnovation #selffunded #podcast
Reference Based Pricing, Healthcare Billing, Fiduciary Responsibilities, Member Advocacy, Vendor Relationships, Network Free Options, Balanced Billing, Provider Relationships, Member Advocates, Healthcare Tools, Healthcare Innovation, self funded, podcast
1 hr
June 18, 2024 Real Estate As An Employee Benefit? (with Dave and Tommy Shumway)
"You're talking about the number one creator of wealth and security for people and one of their most important purchases. And like, how is this not in the employee benefits arena?" - Tommy Shumway

For the first time ever, a father and son joined the podcast together. Dave and Tommy Shumway, from CityWorth, joined the show to discuss an innovative, yet somewhat obvious, benefit that they’ve rolled out for employers to offer their employees: down payment assistance.

We spend a lot of time on the show covering new point solutions that employers can use to offer better benefits to their employees, but the idea of helping employee’s purchase real estate has yet to come up on the show. Dave and Tommy are able to offer this benefit thanks to their ability to operate in several states and their experience with doing these kinds of transactions many times.

The approach for employers is simple: offer employers help with their downpayment only after they’ve worked a set number of years at the company. The benefit is hugely beneficial with encouraging employee loyalty, and as Dave and Tommy shared, homeowners live much more stable lives and are much more productive than renters.

Join us this week on Self-Funded with Spencer for a discussion on home ownership as an employee benefit.

Chapters:
00:00:00 Introducing The Shumways
00:07:06 Financial Struggles in Entrepreneurship and Resilience
00:15:04 Cityworth’s Unique Approach To Real Estate
00:22:32 Real Estate As An Employee Benefit
00:24:32 Why Owning Real Estate Is So Important
00:28:05 Down Payment Assistance Based On Employee Loyalty
00:34:55 Shared Ownership for Non-Married Roommates
00:45:00 The Future Of Real Estate

Key Links for Social:

@SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFunded

Listen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02

Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286

Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/

Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/

Key Words:
#StartupChallenges #CityworthBusinessModel #RealEstateIndustry #MortgageEmployeeBenefits #HomeBuyingAssistance #EmployeeRetention #PrivatePortals #HomeownershipBenefits #RealEstateInnovation #RealEstateStrategies #RealEstateServices #EmployeeBenefits #selffunded #podcast
Startup Challenges, Cityworth Business Model, Real Estate Industry, Mortgage Employee Benefits, Home Buying Assistance, Employee Retention, Private Portals, Homeownership Benefits, Real Estate Innovation, Real Estate Strategies, Real Estate Services, Employee Benefits, self funded, podcast
54 min
June 11, 2024 Incentivizing Employees To Stay Fit (with Chris Hamilton)
"Your fitness affects if you, even if you have a desk job. Your fitness is going to affect your performance over the long run, because it's your energy level." - Chris Hamilton
Chris Hamilton (Hotchkiss) needs no introduction on the show at this point; this is his fifth appearance!
This time, Chris introduced me to the world of Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) by putting a CGM in my arm at the very start of the show (be sure to listen to the whole episode to hear what my glucose level was!).
We talked about why Chris tracks his health so intensely, what he does on a daily basis to stay fit and healthy, and why he believes fitness is extremely important, even if you work at an office job.
Chris and I also discussed how we can incentivize employee’s to care about their health, and why that’s such a struggle for employers.
Chapters:
00:00:00 Spencer Tries Out A CGM Monitor
00:16:51 Optimizing Work Performance through Health and Wellness
00:20:52 Why Concierge Medicine Is So Valuable
00:32:07 Data-Driven Health Monitoring
00:47:38 The Long-Term Impact of Health Behavior Modifications
00:57:19 Aligning Economic Incentives for Employee Health Improvement
01:05:38 Investing In Your Employee’s Wellbeing
01:13:45 Healthy Lifestyles At Work
Key Links for Social:
@SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFunded
Listen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02
Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286
Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/
Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/
Key Words:
#HealthMonitoring #CGM #WellnessOptimization #FastingBenefits #ConciergeMedicine #EmployeeWellness #PersonalizedHealthcare #HealthyWorkplace #WorkplaceWellness #NutritionalAdvice #HealthCulture #HealthIncentives #selffunded #podcast
Health Monitoring, CGM, Wellness Optimization, Fasting Benefits, Concierge Medicine, Employee Wellness, Personalized Healthcare, Healthy Workplace, Workplace Wellness, Nutritional Advice, Health Culture, Health Incentives, self funded, podcast
1 hr 18 min
June 04, 2024 Designing Better Healthcare Experiences (with Ben Callaghan)
“We need to solve for all of that, so that it's more rewarding, more enjoyable, because that's where the cost savings will come in. That's where the innovation will come." - Ben Callaghan

Ben Callaghan, Chief Experience Officer at Empara, joined me this week to discuss how design can actually play a huge role in fixing many of the problems in our industry.

Before working at Empara, Ben actually attempted to launch a ski design company, and we discussed how that experience designing physical products still informs his design philosophy.

Ben focuses on the experiences that patients have utilizing healthcare, which is famously frustrating and complicated. Even if you have the best point solution in the world, it’s not going to be effective if nobody uses it, so it’s pivotal that the way that employees use healthcare is designed thoughtfully.

Even if you don’t know anything about design, I’d encourage you to check out this episode to learn how design impacts literally everything we do in modern America.

Chapters:
00:00:00 Meet Ben Callaghan

00:04:26 From Design Entrepreneur to Healthcare Innovator
00:09:31 Driving Innovation Through Healthcare Industry Collaborations
00:26:09 Digital ID Cards for Enhanced Member Engagement
00:33:38 Tailored Solutions for Buyer Engagement
00:44:58 Enhancing Healthcare Experiences with AI Technology

Key Links for Social:

@SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFunded

Listen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02

Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286

Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/

Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/

Key Words:
#HealthcareTransformation #TechnologyInHealthcare #InnovativeHealthcare #PatientExperience #DigitalHealthSolutions #HospitalAssistance #MemberEngagement #CustomizedHealthcare #FutureOfHealthTech #UserExperienceDesign #HealthcareIndustryInsights #ConsumerDrivenHealthcare #selffunded #podcast
Healthcare Transformation, Technology In Healthcare, Innovative Healthcare, Patient Experience, Digital Health Solutions, Hospital Assistance, Member Engagement, Customized Healthcare, Future Of Health Tech, User Experience Design, Healthcare Industry Insights, Consumer Driven Healthcare, self funded, podcast
53 min
May 28, 2024 How To Stay Disciplined As A Consultant (with Nick Bellanca)
"If you do hard things now, your life will be easy in the future. If you do easy things now, your life will be hard in the future." - Nick Bellanca

Nick Bellanca joined me this week to get his perspective on something we don’t get a lot of on the show: selling as a consultant.

Nick and I talked about his upbringing, how he got onto the football team at the University of San Diego, and starting out working at a carrier (which he says is a great place for people to start in this industry).

Nick actually found himself working at a genetic testing startup for a number of years before transitioning into a sales role at MMA. I was interested to hear his outside perspective on selling as a consultant in the current insurance industry and what it takes to stay disciplined, as a human and as a salesman.

Whether you’re just starting out in sales, you’ve had a long career selling, or you don’t have anything to do with it, you’ll enjoy getting to hear Nick’s perspective on what it takes to make it in the current industry.

Chapters:

00:00:00 Meet Nick Bellanca / Running Marathons

00:07:44 Majoring In Accounting, Stumbling Into Sales
00:15:11 The World of Genetic Testing Benefits
00:17:49 The Challenge And Opportunity Of Changing Roles
00:22:01 Growth Mindset / Effective Communication In Sales
00:41:13 Wellness Programs / Wearables
00:52:41 Do The Hard Things Now

Key Links for Social:

@SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFunded

Listen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02

Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286

Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/

Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/

Key Words:
#CareerChoices #FinancialMotivation #SalesInsights #Adaptability #GeneticTesting #HealthcareInnovation #CareerTransition #PersonalGrowth #WorkLifeBalance #YouthfulMindset #EmployerWellness #SuccessPathway #selffunded #podcast
Career Choices, Financial Motivation, Sales Insights, Adaptability, Genetic Testing, Healthcare Innovation, Career Transition, Personal Growth, Work Life Balance, Youthful Mindset, Employer Wellness, Success Pathway, self funded, podcast
57 min
May 21, 2024 Bringing Capitalism Back To Healthcare (with Dr. K)
"When your brain is programmed that the only way it can be done is through submitting your insurance and when your brain has been for years and years and years that accepting cash is criminal, it's very hard to break that." - Dr. K
My good friend Dr. K, founder of the NTTC Surgery Center and Hinkapin Health, joined the show to shed further light on what upfront pricing and value-based healthcare can do for this industry, employers, and patients.
Dr. K came to America from India, and we discussed what it was like to encounter our health insurance for the first time was like as a physician. We discussed what lead him to choose Texas for his surgery center, why a surgery center is better and more cost effective than a hospital for surgery, and how he was able to determine pricing for his cash-based practice.
Since founding NTTC Surgery Center near Dallas, Dr. K has stayed ambitious and is aiming to expand this model nationwide through Hinkapin Health.
When practices publicly display prices and are able to compete with other practices to win business, everybody benefits; it’s a fundamental benefit of capitalism, and I’m always glad to be able to highlight practices like Dr. K’s.
Chapters:
00:00:00 Meet Dr. K
00:06:56 An Outside Perspective On US Health Insurance
00:15:25 Lowering Costs Through Bundled Procedures
00:20:11 Building Out Upfront Surgical Costs
00:22:14 The Importance Of Transparency In Bundled Procedures
00:27:30 Infection Rates Are The Key Indicator Of Quality
00:53:46 Why We Need Value-Based Healthcare
Key Links for Social:
@SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFunded
Listen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02
Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286
Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/
Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/
Key Words:
#healthcareinnovation #bundledsurgery #transparentcare #ambulatorysurgery #costeffectivehealthcare #qualitycare #healthcarecosts #emerginghealthcare #patientcentric #affordablehealthcare #healthcaresolutions #healthcarefuture #selffunded #podcast
healthcare innovation, bundled surgery, transparent care, ambulatory surgery, cost effective healthcare, quality care, healthcare costs, emerging healthcare, patient centric, affordable healthcare, healthcare solutions, healthcare future, self funded, podcast
55 min
May 14, 2024 The Employer Perspective On Self-Funding (with Stephanie Koch)
“It's the second largest line item that a company has, but they will stroke a check every month for a fully insured program without having data to support what those costs are for.” - Stephanie Koch

Stephanie Koch joined the show to share what it was like to work in benefits and HR in a fully funded company before moving to one that self-funds.

I invited Stephanie on to hear the employer perspective on the industry, but ended up getting so much more, as she’s truly on the cutting edge of healthcare benefits for her company Hendry Marine. We discussed what it’s like to deal with Reference-Based Pricing as an employer, why mobile clinics save lives and are crucial to self-funded plans, and why it’s so important to seek out nontraditional healthcare solutions in the current market.

No matter what aspect of our industry you work in, everything we do is for employers and employees, and there’s so much insight to gain from forward-thinking benefits managers like Stephanie.

Chapters:
00:00:00 Meet Stephanie Koch
00:01:36 Empowering Employers in Self-Funded Healthcare Systems
00:12:37 Challenges in Renewing Fully Funded Healthcare
00:32:44 Maximizing Healthcare Savings Through Reference Based Pricing
00:43:13 Evolving RBP Plans for Employee Benefits
00:51:56 Early Detection Incentives Through Preventive Wellness Exams
01:03:07 Strategic Healthcare Partnering for Self-Funding Success

Key Links for Social:

@SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFunded

Listen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02

Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286

Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/

Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/

Key Words:
#SelfFundedHealthcare #ReferenceBasedPricing #EmployeeBenefits #DataAnalysis #PreventiveExams #OnsiteClinics #CostSavings #ConsultingPartners #HealthcareImprovement #RBPStrategies #HealthcareCosts #TransparentSystem #selffunded #podcast
Self Funded Healthcare, Reference Based Pricing, Employee Benefits, Data Analysis, Preventive Exams, Onsite Clinics, Cost Savings, Consulting Partners, Healthcare Improvement, RBP Strategies, Healthcare Costs, Transparent System, self funded, podcast
1 hr 13 min
May 07, 2024 Avoiding Unnecessary Surgeries And Imaging (with Heidi Ojha)
“I realized that 95% of the scheduled surgeries, like shoulder/knee repairs, back fusions, even some pelvic floor surgeries, they're no more effective than doing nothing at all, on average.” - Heidi Ojha
Heidi Ojha, founder of Aware Health and recently a part of our MSK roundtable, joined me this week in studio to talk about why there are so many unnecessary surgeries performed in this country, why these surgeries happen in the first place, and how she’s trying to change that.
Heidi’s worked as a clinician before founding Aware and estimates that about 95% of scheduled surgeries led to no more positive outcomes than doing nothing at all. This is especially alarming given that MSK is the biggest chronic spend on most health plans.
Heidi and I also expanded on the notion that behavioral health plays a huge part in why and how so many surgeries are performed.
Outside of the cost to the plan, unnecessary surgeries are often risky for the patient and can lead to complications, and even other surgeries that add even more risk. Join us this week to find out how we can stop unnecessary surgeries from happening.
Chapters:
00:00:00 Meet Heidi Ojha
00:09:14 Exploring Non-Invasive Healthcare Options
00:15:33 MSK Chronic Spend
00:18:14 Managing Surgery Claims for Cost Savings
00:27:11 Incentivize Care, Not Profit
00:35:08 Claims Data Impact on Diagnostic Accuracy
00:41:13 The Necessity Of Imaging
00:50:14 Patient-Centered Approach To Healthcare
Key Links for Social:
@SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFunded
Listen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02
Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286
Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/
Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/
Key Words:
#MSKHealthcareCosts #ConservativeCare #BehavioralHealthExpenses #EmployerPlanSpend #FeeForServiceModel #DataAccessibility #DiagnosticAlgorithms #PatientEmpowerment #HealthcareSystemsOptimization #AvoidingSurgeries #ChronicHealthcareSpending #PatientCenteredCare #selffunded #podcast
MSK Healthcare Costs, Conservative Care, Behavioral Health Expenses, Employer Plan Spend, Fee For Service Model, Data Accessibility, Diagnostic Algorithms, Patient Empowerment, Healthcare Systems Optimization, Avoiding Surgeries, Chronic Healthcare Spending, Patient Centered Care, self funded, podcast
1 hr 3 min

About Self-Funded

From the publisher's feed

Self-Funded, hosted by Spencer Smith, is the definitive resource for benefits consultants and employers who are ready to challenge the broken healthcare status quo. Each week, you'll get an insider's…